The
Shows |
Shows in
the current repertoire: |
- An Exmoor Garland.
Devon's Northern
moor was once a Royal Forest, and still supports a herd of wild red deer.
From histories like the Lynmouth flood disaster and hauling a lifeboat
across the moor come a wealth of tales - valorous, humorous, beautiful and
silly - which come together in this compilation of songs and stories.
Hear about what happened when Christ’s
spaceship landed on Holdstone Down, about smuggling, the miraculous Ram, the
charter & pony fairs - all that makes this National Park special!
|
- Songs of the West.
The South Western counties of England - Cornwall, Devon,
Somerset and Dorset - boast a massive heritage of traditional and modern
songs, covering themes just as diverse as the landscapes and peoples who
inhabit them. Umber Music has created a presentation in concert format
lasting, as required, between one hour and two hours with interval, which
brings together some of the most beautiful, intriguing and amusing songs
from this heritage. A true celebration of the West Country in all its many
facets.
|
- Short Sharp Shanties.
An illustrated biography of the most famous nineteenth century shantyman -
John Short of Watchet. The show covers his voyages, the development and
uses of shanties and the vast growth on international trade, all within
the context of the nineteenth century merchant marine.
|
- Three Sea Captains.
This
anthology of rural songs, drawn from repertoires of three retired sea
captains from Minehead and Watchet whose songs were collected by Cecil
Sharp in the early years of the twentieth century. A huge variety of
songs, from traditional ballads to Victorian parlour pieces: variously
historic, humorous, beautiful and vulgar - and many of which ended up on
Tom & Barbara's Just Another Day CD.
|
and a summary of previous shows... |
Ever since 1979, Tom & Barbara have been commissioned to produce a number of themed shows
utilising traditional and specially written songs and music and the spoken word. Some shows
have also included slide and film material. |
Short Sharp Shanties (tour).
A short series of
performances which featured performances of some of John Short's Shanties as
recorded on the CD series. The show also some elements of Short's biography
and was performed by Doug Bailey,Tom & Barbara Brown, Keith Kendrick, Jackie
Oates and Jeff Warner. |
This Farming Life
is a show which combines silent and sound film, songs and the spoken
word. At the instigation of Bill Grainger of Beaford Arts, Tom &
Barbara worked with the South West Film and Television Archive to
produce a show of two 50 min. halves combining and integrating the
various media in an unusual and entertaining way. From 1920s silent
black & white film to modern songs such as Paul Wilson's Bampton Fair
the show celebrated rural life in its many aspects. The show was performed
over 100 times - from West Cornwall to The Black Isle - to enthusiastic
reviews. |
Seascape
is the title of two shows commissioned by the North Devon Maritime Museum. The
shows record the history of North Devon's deep-sea and inshore trade and led to the making of
the cassette tape `Over the Bar' which feature thirteen local singers and musicians. Working
closely with the museum and maritime artist Mark Myers, the shows utilise slides of some of
Mark's work and feature a short film of the building of the replica Mayflower in Appledore
shipyard. |
Down To The Sea In
Ships, written in collaboration with singer/songwriter and former sub-mariner, Cyril Tawney, was commissioned by Plymouth City Council as part of their Drake
400 celebrations. The show recorded and illuminated Plymouth's long historic involvement at
the heart of English Naval tradition. The show was performed by Tom & Barbara, Cyril
Tawney and Francis Verdigi. |
The Everlasting Circle
was compiled and directed by Tom while he was Regional
Development Officer/National Events Organiser for the English Folk Dance & Song Society.
The Everlasting Circle toured 15 theatres around central and southern England as part of the
Society's Silver Jubilee celebrations. With a cast of 24, the three-hour production displayed a
wide range of England's song, music and dance traditions. |
The Landsman's Progress
was commissioned by South Hill Park Arts Centre, Bracknell, and was first performed in the, then newly built, Wilde Theatre as part of the annual folk festival.
The show brought together the acapella trio Regalia (Tom & Barbara and Charley
Yarwood) and the instrumental trio Eric (Nigel Chippendale, Ralph Jordan and Colin Thompson) and
traced the changing fortunes of the farm labourer, small farmer and landowner from Roman
times to the mid-twentieth century, using song, music, spoken word and dual-projection
techniques. |
Fish `N' Ships was written for Broadstairs Folk Week and combined the talents of Tom &
Barbara, Keith Kendrick and Barrie & Ingrid Temple. The show is concerned with inshore
fishing and trade around the coast of England, from the Tyne (where Barrie & Ingrid live)
down the east coast round Kent, along the south coast to Land's End and on up the coast past
Ilfracombe (roughly where Tom & Barbara live) and the Severn, through the Irish Sea and up
to Liverpool. |
Inland England, was also commissioned by Broadstairs Folk Week and
was thematically a new
direction for the shows, focussing, as it does, on the idea of English Landscape. Using both
traditional and contemporary songs the show evokes images of England's diverse landscapes
from the fens to the mountains, from rural views to urban scenes. Dave Webber, Anni
Fentiman and Keith Kendrick joined Tom & Barbara on this show, first
performed in 2001. |